October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second highest cause of cancer-related death in women after lung cancer. Although the average age of diagnosis for breast cancer is 60, one can get breast cancer at any age, and if your family has a history of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, being able to monitor your own breast health is an essential skill to have.
You know your body best, which is why being attuned to your body’s health is so important.
The idea of a regular breast self-exam is to become familiar with how your breasts look and feel so that you will notice if there are changes. According to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump.
How do I properly do a self-exam?
You can check in any way that feels comfortable to you: in the shower, when you’re lying down in bed or in the mirror before you get dressed. However you want to check, here are some things to remember:
- Check regularly
- Know what’s normal for you
- Look and feel
- Remember your collarbone and armpits
- If in doubt, get it checked out
- Know the signs
[Source: CoppaFeel]
How do I know that something’s not right?
Please share it may help someone. pic.twitter.com/0D0n8IQ5Hv
— Dr. Miami (@TheRealDrMiami) October 7, 2020
Monitoring your breast health is an important part of taking care of yourself, no matter your age. This mindset is most effective when started at puberty and continued throughout life. Routine breast self-exams are not time-consuming, and they will help you stay in touch with your body.
